The 3rd Annual NYC Creole Food Festival

The 3rd Annual Creole Food Festival is back in New York City with chefs from all over The Caribbean and South America ready to showcase the recipes that have made them stars on the international culinary scene. Sponsored by Rhum Barbancourt, Creole Essence, Pearl Street Caviar and Moby Tea, this year’s festival will be held Saturday and Sunday at Skinny’s Cantina On The Hudson on Harlem’s Westside where twelve chefs will represent their countries and unique styles by the plate. Chefs John Johnson (American/Asian), Richardson (Trinidad), Gregory Gourdet (Haiti), Gabriela Romas (Puerto Rico/Dominican Republic), Kelvin Fernandez (Dominican Republic), Rudy Straker (Cuba/ Barbados), Thiago Silva (Brazil), Bintou N’Daw (Senegal), Jeff (Haiti), Leen, (American), Todd Richards (American), Kamal Hoyte (St. Vincent) and Eugene Mbongo (Cameroon). Some dishes already raising the eyebrows of foodies are dishes like Swordfish Pincho with Passion Fruit Glaze and Mango Sofrito, Smoked Lamb Ribs: coffee & fennel rubbed, mango & ginger glaze, tiny mustard greens and Djon Djon Pasta with seafood or Vegan Djon Djon Pasta. This year’s intersection of taste will be a revival as it did not run last year due to COVID. With things back in swing for this year’s intersection of taste, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Co-Founder Fabrice Armand to hear why this great event started and what we can expect at The 3rd Annual Creole Food Festival.

Just a few of the chefs who will be showing off their skills for you this weekend.

What is the significance of having an event like The Creole Food Festival on the map? 

It’s a big deal because we’re able to showcase the food from The Diaspora and to show the interconnected ways of each culture by the dish. We are the only food festival that connects Africa, The Caribbean, Latin America, South America and American Southern classics. We do that because of the interconnectedness and the simple fact that it is diasporan food and it should be elevated and celebrated. We also want this to be a celebration of our elegance and talent. The chefs we’ve picked are doing the same baseline when it comes to their skills.  

The line of chefs is not what people typically think of when you say the word ‘creole’. How is this festival redefining that idea?

When people think of Creole food they only think of dishes from Haiti/Ayiti and New Orleans--and that’s far from the truth.  No matter how you spell Creole, it is still the same food brought to us by the experiences of these different groups through colonizers and where they were put to create these flavors. When you think about the food in the Dominican Republic--it’s essentially the same food in Puerto Rico. Look at Brazillian food with its rice and beans. That’s similar to what you would get in Cape Verde. So it is a reflection of those different cultures, but the food of indigenous people and those who brought them there. Haiti for example, the original inhabitants of were the Tainos before the French then brought West Africans over to develop the land as slaves. Now you have those ingredients native to the land already, mix that with the cooking traditions of those in bondage--and throw in the culinary traditions of the French and Spanish. All of this created the richness you taste in Haitian cuisine. But Haiti’s not alone. Every country with this same historical pattern all have their own perspectives on the food of their colonizers and making their own takes on ‘creole’.

What can people expect aside from the food?

One of the great things we do with the festival, beyond the food, is celebrating the different cultures. We will be playing all kinds of music that reflects the nations represented by the chefs and their signature dishes. You’ll hear Zuke, Soca, Calypso along with the live performances we have planned. Previously we had an Afro-Cuban salsa band, a soca violinist, brass band and more. But if people really want to find out what we have going on this year, they’ll have to buy a ticket and check it out.

What can we look forward to from The Creole Food Festival in the future?

This year we’re planning to make stops in the cities we have been into the past New York, Miami, New Orleans. But one of the cities we really want to bring The Creole Food Festival to is Washington, D.C. We believe that it's a city that would greatly appreciate everything about this event. In addition to that, we’re searching for more sponsors to help us create a scholarship where we are able to fund the education of up-and-coming chefs who want to go to culinary school. We also want to grow with our network. It is a celebration of community, our elegance and our talent. 

Be sure to follow The Creole Food Festival for all upcoming events this year and tell us your favorite dish from The 3rd Annual NYC Creole Food Festival in the comments below.

Check out the scene in Miami at The Creole Food Festival 2019.